Sexual assault on the rock: LGBTQ+ experiences in Newfoundland and Labrador

Cumby, Christopher
(2017)
Sexual assault on the rock: LGBTQ+ experiences in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English]
PDF
- Accepted Version
Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission.
Download (572Kb)

Abstract

Many studies in North America have concluded that LGBTQ+ people are at a higher risk for
experiencing sexual assault than their cisgender/heterosexual counterparts; however, no studies
to date have explored the experiences of sexual violence among LGBTQ+ people within
Newfoundland and Labrador. To this end, the objective of this study is to understand the sexual
experiences of gender and sexual minority groups that have been uncomfortable, awkward, or
unwanted within the larger Newfoundland and Labrador LGBTQ+ community. The study was
administered through an anonymous, online survey instrument, replicated from Menning and
Holtzman's (2014) study of on-campus LGBTQ+ sexual violence, and adapted for geographical
differences. The data were analyzed using a traditional content analysis of open-ended responses,
while descriptive statistics are used to summarize the closed-ended responses. Results from the
study indicate that sexual violence is a prominent issue within the community, demonstrating
that LGBTQ+ people experience sexual violence similarly to the general population with some
differences. This study is therefore an initial exploration to which further research must be
conducted in order to advance understanding of this phenomenon.